MOST OF US HAVE HEARD ABOUT HEATING OIL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS -- BUT THERE ARE MAINERS OUT THERE STRUGGLING TO KEEP WARM, WHO DON'T USE OIL. THAT'S ONE REASON A NON- PROFIT GROUP IN CUMBERLAND IS WORKING ON AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION -- AS PART OF ITS GOAL TO HELP MAINERS HEAT THEIR HOMES. BUT THAT GROUP ALSO NEED SOME HELP. WMTW NEWS 8'S ALY MYLES HAS MORE ON THIS STORY. SHE JOINS US LIVE IN THE STUDIO. ALY? áááÑ TRACY, STEVE... THE CUMBERLAND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH CAME UP WITH THIS "WOOD BANK" IDEA ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO-- WHEN A MEMBER OF THEIR CONGREGATION-- WAS IN NEED OF SOME FIREWOOD. NOW-- THEY HELP áSOá MANY PEOPLE, THEY'RE IN NEED OF HELP-- TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. 10:37 this was a particularly busy year. WHETHER IT'S PROVIDING DOZENS OF FAMILIES WITH WOOD-- OR RAISING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HELP FAMILIES RECEIVE OIL ... THE CUMBERLAND CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH DOES WHAT IT CAN FOR MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. 11:26 this wood bank and the Samaritan fund helps people most of whom are not connected with this church in any way . We've always considered ourselves an important citizen of this community so we do what we do when theres a need to help out. MANY MAINERS DEPEND ON THE HELP. SO MUCH SO-- THAT THE WOOD BANK HAS A NEW GOAL IN MIND. THE VOLUNTEERS WANT TO RAISE 20- THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A WOOD PROCESSOR AND DUMP TRAILER TO KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. 1:16 the volume of production is exceeding the labor and we want to make it as safe as possible and efficient as possible so it stays a fun project for the people in the community. FOLKS CAN HELP IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS... EVEN IF THEY'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO DONATE MONEY. 10:48 if youre taking a tree down, we don't take trees down and you think it would be a nice idea to have that tree help keep your neighbor warm. It can either be through that person burning wood which we would cut, split and deliver or through selling it to someone who needs wood and then we can heat their home with oil. áááÑ FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO CONTACT THE WOOD BANK TO DONATE WOOD, MONEY OR VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME-- HEAD TO WMTW DOT COM. LIVE IN THE STUDIO- AM WMTW

A Justice Department civil rights investigation has concluded that the Ferguson Police Department and the city's municipal court engaged in a "pattern and practice" of discrimination against African Americans, targeting them disproportionately for tr...